Frequently Asked Questions

NZB Grab is a friendly Usenet downloader for Windows. You give it an NZB file (a little index of a download) and it fetches every part from Usenet, repairs anything damaged, unpacks the archives, and drops the finished files in your folder. It is built to just work, with no fiddling.

Two things. NZB Grab itself, which is free, and an account with a Usenet provider, which is what the app downloads from. If you do not have a provider yet, there is a recommended one here.

The app is free and downloads any NZB or ZIP you give it, with repair and unpacking built in. The licensed version adds the built-in feeds, feeds from the top NZB sites, your own indexer and RSS feeds, in-app search, folder watch and more.

Windows 11. Everything it needs is built in, so a fresh Windows 11 machine can install it and go, with nothing else to set up.

Download NZB Grab Setup.exe and double-click it. There is nothing to unzip. If Chrome or Windows warns you because the app is new, choose Keep, then More info, then Run anyway, and it installs normally. It is safe.

No. That blue box appears for any new app from a small publisher. Click More info, then Run anyway, and it installs normally. It is not a virus warning.

No. It installs just for your user, so there is no administrator prompt.

The same as any app: open Settings, then Apps, find NZB Grab and choose Uninstall. Your downloads are left where they are.

Usenet is a huge, long-established network where files are posted and downloaded. It is fast and reliable, but you reach it through a provider, a bit like needing broadband before a web browser is any use.

NZB Grab is the app that does the clever bits, but it needs somewhere to download from. That is your provider. You pay them a small monthly or yearly fee, pop the login details into NZB Grab once, and you are set.

You can sign up in a couple of minutes. There is a recommended provider linked inside the app and on the site. Any standard Usenet provider works.

An NZB is a small index file that tells NZB Grab exactly which parts to fetch for a download. You get NZBs from indexers and feeds, or from the built-in feeds in the licensed version.

Two easy ways. Drag and drop any .nzb or .zip file straight onto the NZB Grab window, or, with a licence, browse the feeds inside the app and click USE on anything you fancy.

Into the folder you set under Settings, then Server, as "Save downloads to". When a job finishes, hit Open folder to jump straight there.

Along the top you will see the stage: Downloading, then Checking files, then Repairing if needed, then Unpacking, then Done. It tells you exactly where it is up to.

PAR2 is how Usenet downloads fix themselves when a few parts are missing or damaged, which is normal. NZB Grab has the repair tool built in, so there is nothing to install. It fetches the extra recovery parts it needs and repairs automatically.

That means the file arrived incomplete on the server and whoever posted it did not include enough recovery to rebuild it. No downloader can fix that particular copy. The answer is to grab a different, better posted copy.

Yes. Unpacking for rar, 7z and zip is all built in, so archives come out on their own with nothing extra to install.

Match the number your provider allows, often somewhere between 20 and 50. Their account page lists the maximum. Too many can get you throttled, too few is slower than it needs to be. Our recommended supplier here allows up to 100 connections!

Feeds are ready-made lists of NZBs you can browse right inside the app, with cover art. The licensed version includes built-in feeds and feeds from the top NZB sites, with more added over time.

Click the feed tab along the top. The latest items load in, with covers where the site provides them. Use the time filters to narrow to today, this week or this month, and Next to page further back.

Only items the site actually has artwork for get a picture. The odd release with no art shows a plain card, which is normal.

Yes. Every feed has an editable nickname, so you can call a tab whatever makes sense to you.

Yes, with a licence. NZB Grab supports both Newznab API feeds and RSS feeds from your own sites, alongside the built-in ones.

Open Settings, then Feeds, and choose to add a manual API feed. Paste the API URL from your indexer along with your API key. Most indexers show this on their API or profile page. Give the tab a name and save.

In Settings, then Feeds, choose to add a manual RSS feed and paste the full RSS address from your indexer, the same link that works in a browser. NZB Grab reads the key and category from it and runs the search endpoint behind the scenes so it can page properly.

On your indexer website, usually under your profile, account or API settings. It is a long string of letters and numbers. Keep it private, it is tied to your account.

Make sure each feed URL includes its own category, so a full feed and, say, an XXX-only feed stay separate. NZB Grab keeps the category from each address, so distinct addresses give distinct feeds.

Yes, where the indexer provides them. NZB Grab asks for the extended details that carry the artwork and loads the images for you.

Open Settings, then About, and read the Activity log, it spells out what happened. Most issues are the indexer rate limiting or a daily grab limit. NZB Grab identifies like a browser to get past the usual blocks, so a link that works in your browser should work in the app.

Browsing the built-in feeds and feeds from the top NZB sites, adding your own indexer and RSS feeds, in-app search and grab, folder watch, right-click Send to NZB Grab, and the system tray background running.

Yes. Join #nzb-grab-chat on the Arcade Punks Discord to get help, share tips and hear about new versions first.

On the pricing page. Choose your currency, pick Monthly, Yearly or Lifetime, and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. Your licence key is emailed to you straight away, with a link to your account.

Open Settings, then Register, paste your key and save. The app checks it and unlocks the extra features straight away.

A key is locked to the machine it is activated on, which keeps things simple and fair. If you move to a new PC, get in touch and we will sort it.

Yes. Sign in to your account on the website, where your key is shown, or use the Contact page and we will help.

On the website there is an account page showing your licence key, plan, status and expiry, with your device listed.

Yes, from your account page you can change your password and update your email address.

Monthly and Yearly plans renew automatically, so there is nothing to do. You can cancel any time from your account page, and your licence keeps working until the end of the period you have paid for. Lifetime licences never need renewing.

Point NZB Grab at a folder and it keeps an eye on it in the background. When a new .nzb or .zip lands, it asks before opening it, it never grabs on its own. It is a registered feature and lives in its own Folder watch settings section.

NZB Grab sits by the clock in the tray. Closing the window tucks it away there so it keeps working and watching, and you fully quit from the tray icon.

Yes. Under Settings, then System, tick "Start NZB Grab when Windows starts", and optionally "Start hidden in the tray" so it opens quietly to the tray.

That is rare and means the app is still starting its own local service. Give it a moment and use Refresh. If it keeps happening, there is a startup-error log in your NZB Grab settings folder that says why, and the Contact page can get it to us.

That is usually a network quirk with IPv6 on some connections. NZB Grab now tries the faster route first, so it should open quickly. The Activity log shows how long a feed took if you want to check.

Settings, then About. It is a running note of what the app is doing, and it is saved to a file in your NZB Grab folder too, which is handy if you ever need to show us what happened.